Film/Theatre

Musician and producer, Jay Stollman is an essential character on the East Coast music scene. Stollman performs in a broad range of styles, switching effortlessly between Blues, Rock and Roll and Blue Eyed Soul. He’s carved out a niche not only as a gifted vocalist, but also as a dynamic entertainer and bandleader. In addition to his studio work, Jay continues to perform live, out of love for his craft and the stage.

The Jay Stollman Blues Band has won over audiences around the world playing with the likes of James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Joan Osborne, Tower of Power, and Blues Traveler.

With powerhouse grooves and an electrifying front man, JSBB has everything they need to move your spirit, your soul and your feet.

Launched by the very nature of his American rock star genetics, Devon is nothing less than the son of his father Gregg. Beyond the last name, however, Devon has been able to secure his own spot with a slick control over the guitar, like a young Santana, and a fierce bluesy approach to rock, like the Rolling Stones. With songs built around killer riffs and soulful vocals, Allman is clearly an artist who gives himself to his music mind, body and soul, his face contorting as his fingers fly across the frets at about 100 miles per hour, channeling everyone from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Hendrix to Duane himself.

Singer-songwriters Deb Talan & Steve Tannen began writing together the night they met, and soon formed indie band The Weepies. On the strength of their simple yet insightful songwriting and distinctive harmonies, they quietly sold more than a million records, with over 17 million streams on Spotify, and 20 million views on YouTube. They married and had three children, rarely touring but continuing to release music, with five records over seven years.

In 2014, Deb beat cancer, and The Weepies recorded the best album of their career. Coming back from the edge sharpened their skills and focus. At 16 songs and almost an hour long, SIRENS shows a band at the height of its powers.

Dar Williams has become a major force on the New England folk scene. An idiosyncratic songwriter who writes folk songs from a unique, often insightful perspective, Williams takes pains to avoid the coy and the quirky; her songwriting and performing style has been compared to that of Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, but with a few acidic and at times hilarious twists.

Williams, a native of Mount Kisco, N.Y., is a classic made-for-coffeehouses artist, writing about the world around her, her encounters in it, and the conclusions she’s drawn; she’s as comfortable rhapsodizing about a favorite babysitter (“The Babysitter’s Here,” from her self-released debut, The Honesty Room) as she is inveighing against the evil political monolith (see “Empire,” from 2005’s acclaimed My Better Self).

At the core of Williams’ work is a belief in the innate ability of people to make a better world, the product of countless observations in her travels and conversations with her fans. If anything, her optimism has intensified as she’s crisscrossed America during the tough times of recent years. “My big secret,” she says, with a twinkle in her eye, “is that we are gonna make it — but we’ll be the last to know.”

“Williams has a vocal style quite like that of Joan Baez (who happened to be one of Williams’s early supporters): a variable, semi-operatic, vibrato-laced, high-pitched tone full of passion.” – Bershire Living Magazine

While typically classified as "new age," the married duo actually encompass jazz, folk, blues, and numerous other influences to forge their own musical path.

With Tuck's intricate guitar work on his 1949 Gibson L-5 and Patti wrapping her honey-toned yet powerful vocals around each chord, the two fuse together as one.

However, it's their blend of sophisticated jazz that is most reminiscent of the 40s teaming of Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass. Whether it be subtle ballads, upbeat pop tunes, or well-known covers, their unencumbered yet passionate arrangements display the sort of panache that elevate Tuck and Patti above the "jazz" moniker.

Get a sneak-peak of the documentary about F. Scott and Zelda’s five raucous months in Westport in 1920 and discover what’s turned the Fitzgerald world upside down. Join the filmmakers, local author Robert Steven Williams and local historian and educator, Deej Webb, as well as Fitzgerald scholar, Professor Walter Raubicheck of Pace University, as they share clips of the film and discuss their findings and progress to date. Narrated by local actor, Keir Dullea.

Winner of the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Debut Artist, Samantha Fish plays up a storm with her trademark guitar work and soulful vocals. By the time she was 18, Fish was already pioneering her brand of blues-inspired guitar on the local blues circuit. Although never one to stray far from those roots, Fish's music also contains a tasteful amount of rock mixed in with a little country and Americana for good measure.

She followed the thread from modern masters like Mike Zito and Tab Benoit, through fallen '80s heroes like Stevie Ray Vaughan, right back to the pre-war Delta masters. With another extensive year of touring lined up as well as a brand new album on deck, Samantha Fish’s star will only continue to rise.

Band Together founders Jerry Vigorito and Rob Fried bring you a dance and funk show channeling the popular NY nightclub Studio 54 and the “scene” from the 1970’s and 80’s made popular by Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Donna Summer, The O’Jays, Jackson Five and more.

SpreadMusicNow funds music instruction for underserved youth, helping to shape their futures and build lifelong success.

SpreadMusicNow and Band Together are supporting a coalition of Connecticut youth development and music education nonprofits to improve student learning andcommunity vitality by strengthening music education for children and youth.

The Nth Power is a marquee ensemble of world-class music lovers that are part soul, part funk, and 100% amazing. Creating infectious indie gospel-funk, they define what a modern all-star ensemble is for a new generation. Especially considering the players involved — Dumpstaphunk’s Nikki Glaspie; keyboardist and vocalist Nigel Hall of Lettuce, Warren Haynes Band, and John Scofield’s Uberjam; bassist Nate Edgar of John Brown’s Body; soul evangelist and guitarist Nick Cassarino of the Jennifer Hartswick Band; and West African djembe master Weedie Braimah of Toubab Krewe.

The Nth Power is a force best experienced live. If you are a fan of any of the bands they play in, you owe it to yourself to check them out.

Inspired by the powers of StageOne and you, the FTC audience, FishHead Stew was a super group that originally formed for a special one-time only performance on StageOne. Well, folks had such a great night we brought them back again, sold it out, and now bringing them back for a fourth time!

This is a rare opportunity to catch an impromptu collaboration between three original Radiators members musicians: Dave Malone on lead/rhythm guitar and vocals, Camile Baudoin on lead guitar, and Reggie Scanlon on bass. Joining them will be keyboardist Mark Rechler (Neville Brothers, The Meters, Soulive and Rebirth Brass Band) and a special surprise guest on drums. Like the prolific bands that birthed them, FishHead Stew will bring the funk. The pure, raw, and unadulterated funk.

New England’s own Albert Cummings first picked up the guitar after hearing the music of the late Stevie Ray Vaughan. Struck with inspiration, he poured himself into the blues, and soon found a home in the circuit with his band, Swamp Yankee. A chance encounter with Stevie Ray’s band, Double Trouble, led to Albert recording with his heroes in Austin Texas.
In 2003 Albert Cummings and Double Trouble released From The Heart; Cummings’ first solo record.

He’s since released three more albums, and shared the stage with such heroes and legends as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, John Hammond, Susan Tedeschi, Tommy Castro, The Neville Brothers, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Sheryl Crow, and Duke Robillard.

One of the world's most in demand session musicians, Lindley's encyclopedic knowledge of music, his indomitable arsenal of stringed instruments, and his deft touch in every style, puts him on the top of everyone's list of most able sidemen. He is the epitome of the musician's musician; lending his skills to the recorded works of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Warren Zevon, Ben Harper, and many others.

If you want to hear what this guy can do, make your way to StageOne for an awe-inspiring demonstration of string prowess.

"What he played did as much to form my music as my writing those songs...This is one of the great slide players of all time." - Jackson Browne

When LA born Afro-Funk ensemble Orgone comes to town you know that you're about to be thrown into a pool of heavy dance-beckoning rhythms and soulful singing. A myriad of groove-oriented styles pulling from the deep funk of the 60s and 70s, psychedelic rock and 60s memphis soul/blues. You'll dance, you'll feel it, and you might just find your new favorite band.

The magnetic reggae hero returns to StageOne. A native of Maroon Town, Jamaica and a descendant of the only remaining unified tribe in Jamaica. "Mystic Bowie" is the name bestowed on him by tribal elders based on powers they sensed in him.

Since 1992, Mystic has delighted audiences around the world as the lead vocalist for the Tom Tom Club, a musical collaboration featuring Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Talking Heads. Sure, for Mystic, home could mean Jamaica, the islands or any number of other places he's lived. But if you ask him, he'll make it clear that Fairfield is home. Expect top-notch roots reggae and plenty of dancing!

To call Taylor a cutting edge artist is an understatement. Although his music is based in the blues and folk realm, his meticulously crafted recordings crash the barriers of jazz, rock, funk, Americana and myriad other genres to create a hybrid that Taylor labels "trance blues."

Otis Taylor does for the blues what Jimi Hendrix did for the guitar, taking what everyone assumed was explored to the fullest, and busting it wide open in a million new directions.

Part of Otis Taylor's bluesy bag of tricks is his mastery of multiple instruments and his passion for pushing the envelope of what each of them can do. What really matters, as always, is Taylor's consistently high-quality mix of blues, jazz, and bluegrass.

"With the propulsive feeling to the songs on Respect the Dead, the movement akin to the swirling, fast-moving waters of the mighty Mississippi river, Otis Taylor seems to have planted the seed for blues in this new millennium." - NYRock

The venerable Delbert McClinton is a legend among Texas roots music aficionados, not only for his amazing longevity, but for his ability to combine country, blues, soul, and rock & roll as if there were no distinctions between any of them in the best time-honored Texas tradition.

If you ask the critics about Delbert's dynamic vocals and harmonica style, you'll hear descriptions ranging from 'honky-tonk,' 'blue-eyed soul,' and 'Texas stomp' to 'country rock' and 'blues.' Delbert's music rebels against traditional categorization, ask him what kind of music he plays and he'll say, "Fun music."

For McClinton fans, this will be a major cause to celebrate. For the uninitiated, this is as fine a place as any to be introduced to some gritty Texas rhythm & blues, hard honky tonk blues, slippery acoustic country, and killer funky white boy Southern soul.

At the end of the day, three-time Grammy winner Delbert McClinton is the quintessential Texas roadhouse rocker, applying his well-traveled rasp to songs from the hard-loving intersections of blues, country and soul.

Bruce Cockburn is a hypnotic performer. Famed for his effortless and idiosyncratic guitar work, as well as his political, and often spiritual messages, Cockburn is a beloved fixture in the Canadian and US circuit. He has traveled the world bringing music and good will with him. He has made himself truly indispensable to the art world through his collaboration with musicians like Emmylou Harris, and Jackson Browne, filmmaker Robert Lang, and work in conjunction with USC Canada and The David Suzuki Foundation.

This fall saw the release of “Rumors of Glory,” a true Cockburn compendium featuring his long awaited memoir and a nine disk box set of material; a masterfully delivered cross section of his varied and consistently impressive body of work.

A sort of sultry country goddess, singer Shelby Lynne doesn't let pesky genres tie her down. You can't box in Shelby Lynne as a country singer; blending deep soul, Southern twang, and cosmopolitan pop, her sound has more sides than a debate club. There's a little bit of soul in everything Alabama girl Shelby Lynne does. It's a sonic tattoo that won't wash off.

Her music can bounce from a luscious mix of '60s-Aretha influence and '70s Philly-soul sheen to streamlined folk-pop to a kick-up-your-heels Southern soul honky-tonkin' stomper that casts a fond glance back towards Patsy Cline.

Lynne recently told Rolling Stone that this tour will focus tightly on her new album and on "I Am Shelby Lynne," the one that won her a Grammy for best new artist 14 years ago. "One long, two-hour show," she says. "I want to give people their money's worth. No intermission, two great albums. Boom!"

“The Bard of Salford,” John Cooper Clarke is a seminal punk. His poems leaps deftly, surreal and vitriolic, poking wry fun at a little bit of everything. Wild youth, the underprivileged, fashion (specifically track suits), crooked cops, and the potent discomfort of curse words are As an artist he has unflinchingly done the unfathomable; touring - as a performance poet - with the likes of The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Elvis Costello, and The Buzzcocks. Joy Division were supporters of his cause, as are The Arctic Monkeys, and Jarvis Cocker. He has left an indelible mark on popular culture through his sharp prose, his framing of the punk ethos, and his iconic style - the drainpipes, the mess of hair, and the Cuban heeled boots - which have become a trademark punk look favored by many and reference by more.

Michael Allman has been blazing a trail in southern blues rock with The Michael Allman Band. It’s Allman’s experience more than anything that has lead him to sing the blues, and though bearing a striking resemblance to his father, Gregg Allman, Michael performs with quality that is unquestionably his own.

Charles Neville has perhaps the most diverse musical background of anyone in his storied family. Having played R&B, funk, Native American traditional, and bop (amongst other jazz styles), Neville has played alongside and supporting artists including James Brown, BB King, Ray Charles, and Allen Toussaint.

Jeff Pitchell is a Connecticut legend, having been recognized as the best guitarist in the state at the early age of 15. He honed his craft with the influence of players like Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and played passionately for anyone who would listen.

Legendary in the history of American ska and rock fusion by combining equal parts of deep funk, high-energy punk, and frantic ska, Fishbone was one of the most distinctive and eclectic alternative rock bands of the late '80s.

It's hard to put into words the sheer thunder of Fishbone live. The mix of bass, keyboards, 3 brass instruments, 5 vocalists, drums, guitar and a loud PA combine to create a molten mix of deep funk / frantic ska / high-energy punk that has solidified their undisputed reputation as one of the best live acts in music history.

"Fishbone is the greatest band that the world ignored." — Questlove, The Roots

"They're definitely original. There was no pre-Fishbone. It was just them. They get to wear that crown to their grave." — Ice-T

"Fishbone is the world's greatest live band... I've been blown away by them many times." — Les Claypool, Primus

"Fishbone is the band that influenced me the most. On many occasions, my excitement level has erected to a place that could go no higher when seeing them play live. This is the best live band I have ever seen. Thank you Fishbone for years of inspiration."
— Adrian Young from NO DOUBT

"If you haven't seen [Fishbone] then they are the best band you haven't seen. And if you have seen them then you know what I'm talking about." — Tim Robbins

Nominated for Best Picture and featuring an Oscar Winning performance by J.K. Simmons, Whiplash is both an exhilarating and disturbing look at music, passion, and the price of perfection. Andrew Neiman is an ambitious young jazz drummer, single-minded in his pursuit to rise to the top of his elite east coast music conservatory. Terence Fletcher, an instructor equally known for his teaching talents as for his terrifying methods, leads the top jazz ensemble in the school. Fletcher discovers Andrew and transfers the aspiring drummer into his band, forever changing the young man’s life. Andrew’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into obsession, as his ruthless teacher continues to push him to the brink of both his ability—and his sanity.

From The Black Crowes to Phil Lesh to his solo albums, the California guitarist jams across genres. Greene sings in a honeyed tenor over music that synthesizes elements of classic rock, folk, soul, blues, country, psychedelia and A.M. pop – think the Band, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty after soaking up a few 70s So-Cal rays.

If you’ve seen him join The Black Crowes or Phil Lesh and Friends, or Trigger Hippy, you know the guy rules at guitar and performance. Get ready for two special performances on StageOne.

From the Black Crowes to Phil Lesh to his solo albums, the California guitarist jams across genres. Greene sings in a honeyed tenor over music that synthesizes elements of classic rock, folk, soul, blues, country, psychedelia and A.M. pop – think the Band, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty after soaking up a few 70s So-Cal rays.

If you’ve seen him join The Black Crowes or Phil Lesh and Friends, or Trigger Hippy, you know the guy rules at guitar and performance. Get ready for two special performances on StageOne.

NRBQ is that rare group that's eclectic, stylistically innovative, and creatively ambitious while sounding thoroughly humble and accessible.

At its best, NRBQ's music casually mixes up barrelhouse R&B, British Invasion pop, fourth-gear rockabilly, exploratory free jazz, and dozens of other flavors. The bottom line is that these guys give a stomp-down rhythm that gets fans dancing in the aisles.

Over the course of more than 40 years, NRBQ has earned a sizable, passionate cult of fans including Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, and Bonnie Raitt.

Sirius/XM "Singer/Songwriter Discovery of the Year" nominee Jeff LeBlanc returns to Fairfield after his much talked about performance on StageOne last year.

LeBlanc's latest album, "My Own Way There", was his second consecutive to break the Top 10 of the iTunes Top 200 Singer/Songwriter Chart. The enthusiasm for the record and his frequent touring have landed him support slots for household names like Gavin DeGraw and Chris Isaak as well as rising stars such as Colbie Caillat, Parachute and Ingrid Michaelson to name just a few.

His highly anticipated fourth album is slated for release in the Spring of 2015.

It's Bela Fleck meets The Wailers meets the Allman Brothers. Live, you hear a range of bluegrass, blues, country, rock and reggae - often at the same time - tightened up with sweet harmonies and danceable rhythms.

Dangermuffin is genre-shattering; blending breezy reggae grooves and roots rock, their folk feel is complimented by dueling guitars and twangy rock making them the Allman-esque sweet southern band for you.

If you appreciate soulful, stirring numbers that are infused with the fun spirit of late night romps, Dangermuffin has that taste you crave.

Creative Connections, a Norwalk-based international cultural education non-profit, presents ‘Arts for Understanding,’ a performance benefit featuring Rios de Encontro. A UNESCO award-winning youth dance and music troupe from the Cabelo Seco community in the Brazilian Amazon, Rios de Encontro’s performance will showcase and celebrate the region's African, indigenous and riverside heritage. The group is comprised of ten girls and boys, ages 14-19, whose performance is part of their first US tour.

A cocktail reception preceding the performance will include Brazilian tapas and Fund-the-Mission auction. Proceeds will support Creative Connections' cultural education programs, which build bridges of understanding between US students and their international peers through the exchange of art and ideas.

Larry Coryell presents a roundtable of todays best jazz guitarists. Equally dexterous in the smoothest standards, and heaviest fusion and bop; Jimmy Bruno, Jack Wilkins, Vic Juris, and Joe Cohn span the scope of Jazz guitar. Each player has played a decisive role in modern jazz, a genre that has always appreciated a push of the envelope. Together these high flyers represent a veritable state of the instrument.

At the helm of this crew is Larry Coryell, jazz-rock pioneer. One of the founding fathers of fusion, Coryell was instrumental in introducing a harder edge to jazz. His classic album, Spaces is a cornerstone in the birth of jazz fusion, and showcases Coryell leading one of the finest bands ever assembled: John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Chick Corea, and Miroslav Vitous.

Northern California’s outlaw music bards bring a reputation for high-energy live shows and an incomparable fusion of bluegrass/old time, southern rock, and old school jam to stages and festivals worldwide. This “High-Octane Hootenanny” will certainly delight those interested in a foot-stompin’ good time. Poor Man’s Whiskey has evolved into a ragged, spontaneous beast pulling from equally deep wells of story-telling originals, expertly crafted covers and zany on-stage shenanigans.

PMW has released 6 studio albums, “Like a River”, released in 2012, “Goodbye California” (2011), “Dark Side of the Moonshine” (a double disk set featuring original music as well as the bluegrass interpretation of the Pink Floyd classic album) (2009), “Roadside Attraction”(2005), “Train to California” (2003), and “Hunnerd Proof”(2002).

If you thought a 26.2 mile marathon was tough, lace up your running shoes for a journey into the world of ultra-running. “100: Head/Heart/Feet” will follow the day-to-day life of ultra-runner Zak Wieluns as he trains for and finally runs a 100 mile race. The actual event is called the Vermont 100 Endurance Race, one of the original 100 mile runs in the USA. Runners attempt to complete this grueling competition over Vermont’s paved streets, gravel back roads and wooded trails…in daylight and darkness… within 30 hours. A well-trained few will complete the race; many will never cross the finish line.

Director Mike Mooney will be joining us to answer your questions and share his experiences making this film.

BoDeans head out this spring in support of their new record, "I Can't Stop," and chose StageOne to host their record release party. With a pop edge, and a tinge of zydeco, BoDeans has developed a well earned reputation as one of the best live acts in the business.

Both critically acclaimed and feverishly followed by fans, they are heartland veterans who have remained true to their vision since they began touring in 1984. "We throw the energy out, and we want them to throw it back to us. Because it's a lot more fun to do something when you're doing it with good friends."

English Soul singer James Hunter brings bravado, superb pipes, and an explosion of classic soul. Hunter has been on the scene since the early nineties, hitting the club circuit in the UK before catching the ear of Van Morrison. Soon He joined Morrison both on tour and on record. In the mid 2000’s, a chance encounter while busking led Hunter to a deal with Go Records, and the release of his first American issued record, People Gonna Talk. The album was praised for its echoes of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, and made many of 2006’s top ten lists. The release of his latest album, The Hard Way, has brought even more critical acclaim, and sound James Hunter a home touring with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Chris Isaak, Boz Scaggs, and more.

Andrea Gibson’s poetry investigates and instigates, unpacking often uncomfortable truths about our world and the way we fit into it. They exemplify the struggle to be recognized that exists within all art - speaking frankly of politics, social norms, and the problems we all too often ignore.

As a poet Andrea Gibson has garnered the praise of peers like Buddy Wakefield, Carlos Andres Gomez, and Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, and appeared on the BBC, the National Poetry Slam, and became the first winner of the Women of the World Poetry Slam.

As an activist they have been present at numerous rallies and take-backs, and worked with feminist collective Vox Feminista in order to “comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

In the early 1980’s, L.A. band The Motels personified new wave. With hits like “Only The Lonely,” and “Suddenly Last Summer,” The Motels and their frontwoman Martha Davis led Californias avant-garde and helped to catalyze the MTV era.

Davis has lead the group through all of it’s iterations, including it’s latest reformation, in 1997. Featuring Nick Johns, Clint Walsh, Brady Wills, Eric Gardner, and Marty Jourard, this latest incarnation may be the bands strongest. Touring consistently since 98’ Martha Davis and The Motels have played more and longer than any past version. Martha and The Band will be making their first appearance at Fairfield Theatre Company this spring.

Blues legends don't stop in downtown Fairfield all that often. And it's certainly rare for them to play a 200 seat venue. Thanks to another booking miracle, FTC has the privilege and honor of bringing a large-venue touring band to the smallest stage of their tour AND offering the biggest Member Discount in FTC history.

The moniker Taj Mahal came to Henry Saint Clair Fredericks in a dream, and now stands proud as shorthand for one of the prime movers on the blues, folk, and roots music scenes. To really feel the man's essence, trust us when we say: it's rewarding to hear him live.

"Taj is the most important bridge we have between blues, rock n roll and contemporary music. He's as bad as they get." - Bonnie Raitt

Pat Travers first picked up a guitar after seeing Jimi Hendrix perform in his native Toronto. Though he cut his teeth on the blues, it was the visceral hard rock played by the likes of Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, and Cream that truly caught his attention. He began honing his own blues tinged rock and roll and quickly became a favorite among crowds and musicians alike, being cited as a prime influence by Metallica's Kirk Hammett. Pat's talent has seen him collaborate with a veritable who's who of rock and metal icons over the years, including tours with prog legends Rush, and Rainbow, and a collaborative hit with Leslie West of Mountain.

The Pat Travers Band has also featured an impressive cast including Tommy Aldridge, Carmine Appice, and a pre-Iron Maiden Nico McBrain. In keeping with it's tradition of excellence, the current Pat Travers Band is made up rock and roll stalwarts: guitarist Kirk McKim , bassist Rodney O'Quin, and drummer Sandy Gennaro (Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, Michael Bolton).

The self taught guitarist Johnny A plays like he’s talking with an old friend. His natural approach has taken him a long way through stints with members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Derek And The Dominoes, and J. Geils Band. Walking the line between jazz and heavy blues, Johnny A is a talent you can’t quite pin down. Think Hendrix, think Page, Clapton, or Prince.

James Montgomery might know the blues better than anyone. Having played with with a laundry list of legends like B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and John Lee Hooker, Montgomery has had a wealth of hands on experience with the storied genre.
As the leader of the James Montgomery Blues Band he has embodied the best in the blues, playing passionately and honestly, and fronting a group that has been wowing audiences for over 40 years.

The name Spyro Gyra is synonymous with a turning point in the history of jazz. Taking cues from Weather Report and Return to Forever, they created a cultivated brand of pop fusion which confused critics and dazzled music lovers the world over.

Now in their 40th year as a band, Spyro Gyra has played thousands of shows, and released over 30 albums, including platinum and gold records. Their sound is an artful blend of R&B, pop, Caribbean music, and jazz. With a style equally focused on technicality and dance-ability, it comes as no surprise that they are one of the most enduring and popular acts in contemporary jazz.

A cross between Cat Stevens and Paul Simon, Lee DeWyze has certainly broken the mold of American Idol winners.

With his rough-hewn voice and laid-back Midwestern charm, DeWyze won over millions of viewers as a contestant and eventual winner of the 2010 season of American Idol. There's an easy-going spirit on his major-label debut "Live It Up" -- a breezy blend of rootsy pop, rock, and folk, anchored by DeWyze's soulful, husky voice and bright-sounding acoustic guitar.

Delivered in flannel and stocking feet, George Winston’s performances are transcendent and unadorned. Introspective and tranquil, he plays atmospheres in which an audience may lose itself. A self described “rural folk piano” player, Winston plays everything classical pieces, original compositions, and even transforms rock and pop hits into solo piano pieces with a pastoral sweetness for which he is known.

Though influenced early on by instrumental artists like Booker T, and The Ventures, George Winston’s playing really took off when he discovered stride piano. The work of stride greats like Fats Waller and Teddy Wilson opened Winston’s ears and served as a chief inspiration in the making of his first record, Ballads and Blues 1972. George Winston has recorded numerous albums with themes ranging from the season, the great plains, and memorials to The Peanuts, and the music of The Doors.

Play With Your Food rounds out its season in Fairfield at the Fairfield Theatre Company on Tuesday, April 7th with a knockout line-up of plays! Clinch—by Lindsay Joy—is about a young couple on their wedding day. Hot off the Brooklyn stage where it recently premiered, Clinch is set in a boxing ring where the young lovers go head-to-head exchanging punches as they expose secrets and truths that challenge the likelihood of their getting married that day. In Paul Rudnick’s witty play My Husband, a comedic confrontation takes place between a politically-liberal, urban mother and her gay son on the day that New York passes laws to accept gay marriages. PWYF’s third play to be performed this month features well-known actors (and Weston residents) Patricia Kalember and her real-life husband, Daniel Gerroll as they portray a newly dating couple in playwright Albi Gorn’s A Name by Any Other Name. Written as a faux Victorian dialogue, mistakes and laughs abound when the man tries to hide that he has forgotten the woman’s first name. Together, Kalember and Gerroll have an impressive list of acting accomplishments. PWYF is delighted to welcome back local favorite Garelick & Herbs with its signature salads, soups and sandwiches to cater lunch. The program begins at 12 noon with lunch followed immediately by the play-readings and talkback with the cast and director.

The Neville's have made some serious sounds over the years; but none heavier or funkier than Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk. This is funk like a runaway train, the sound of a good time that just can't stop rolling.

Dumpstaphunk's latest release, Dirty Word, re-imagined their genre, holding true to the vintage funk of Sly & the Family Stone and Parliament Funkadelic, but with a modern edge that forays into gospel, blues, second-line, R&B and straight-up rock n roll.

"Dumpstaphunk, the band that plays the city’s hardest-hitting funk." - Rolling Stone

Citizen Cope is effortless cool, the heat of the Memphis sun, the deep melting pot of the American south, a melding of hip hop and the blues in a way so natural that you have to wonder why no one’s done it before. Songs like Son’s Gonna Rise, Sideways and Bullet And A Target simmer somewhere between haunted and hopeful; the kind of songs that get written because they need to be. Listening to Cope you can hear the steady stir of modern life, the voice of abundant humility and aspiration. Citizen Cope’s writing is refreshingly candid; revealing him as an optimist in an often unfair world. Political, lyrical, poetic, and alive.

This spring, Citizen Cope presents a unique acoustic tour. An even more intimate side of today's most genuine songwriters. Come and see this self realized writer/performer/producer the way that he is, has been, and will be; a man and a guitar.